U.S. patent application number 10/160962 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-16 for vehicle bonnet hinge.
Invention is credited to Kim, Ho.
Application Number | 20030010552 10/160962 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19712009 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030010552 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim, Ho |
January 16, 2003 |
Vehicle bonnet hinge
Abstract
A vehicle bonnet hinge is provided, which includes a hinge arm
having penetratingly formed coupling holes to be coupled with a
bonnet in contact with a bottom surface of the bonnet at a top
surface, and a first hinge hole and a second hinge hole
penetratingly formed at a front part and a rear part of a surface
of the hinge arm, a first link and a second link, of which upper
end parts are respectively coupled with the first hinge hole and
the second hinge hole of the hinge arm by axial pins, a hinge
support formed with a hinge hole at a side to be rotatably coupled
with a lower end part of the second link by the axial pin and
coupling holes at both sides of a lower part to be coupled with a
vehicle body by bolts in contact with a top surface of the vehicle
body at a bottom surface, a slot formed longitudinally in the hinge
support for preventing a hinge pin, which is coupled with the lower
part of the first link, from deviating from a hinge center shaft
when an external impact is applied, and a plate spring fixedly
mounted at a side of the slot, and formed with a holding shoulder
for preventing the hinge pin from deviating from a normal hinge
operation position, wherein the lower end part of the first link
moves along the slot in case of head-on collision between a vehicle
and a walker, so that the bonnet moves downwardly for absorbing the
impact energy, preventing the walker from being injured.
Inventors: |
Kim, Ho; (Gyeonggi-do,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
350 WEST COLORADO BOULEVARD
SUITE 500
PASADENA
CA
91105
US
|
Family ID: |
19712009 |
Appl. No.: |
10/160962 |
Filed: |
May 31, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
180/69.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 21/38 20130101;
E05D 3/145 20130101; E05Y 2900/536 20130101; E05D 3/022
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
180/69.21 |
International
Class: |
B62D 025/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 10, 2001 |
KR |
2001-41339 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle bonnet hinge comprising: a hinge arm having coupling
holes penetratingly formed at a surface to be coupled with a bonnet
in contact with a bottom surface of the bonnet at a top surface,
and a first hinge hole and a second hinge hole respectively
penetratingly formed at a front part and a rear part of a surface
of the hinge arm; a first link and a second link, of which upper
end parts are respectively coupled with the first hinge hole and
the second hinge hole of the hinge arm by axial pins; a hinge
support having a hinge hole formed at a side to be rotatably
coupled with a lower end part of the second link by the axial pin
and coupling holes formed at both front and rear sides of a lower
part to be coupled with a vehicle body by bolts in contact with a
top surface of the vehicle body at a bottom surface; a slot formed
longitudinally in the hinge support for preventing a hinge pin,
which is coupled with the lower part of the first link, from
deviating from a hinge center shaft position when external impact
is applied; and a plate spring fixedly mounted at a side of the
slot and formed with a holding shoulder for preventing the hinge
pin from deviating from a normal hinge operation position.
2. A vehicle bonnet hinge according to claim 1, wherein the hinge
pin includes a key machined to be integrally attached to a
cylindrical column part, and the plate spring mounted in the slot
has a contacting surface formed at a side to hold the key and the
holding shoulder protruded at a lower part by a predetermined
height for supporting the rotation of the cylindrical column part.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] (a) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle bonnet hinge, and
more particularly to a hinge of a vehicle bonnet for withdrawing a
bonnet of a vehicle backwardly for preventing a walker from being
injured by the collision with the bonnet even though the body of
the walker contacts the bonnet due to the head-on collision with
the vehicle which is running.
[0003] (b) Description of the Related Art
[0004] Recently, it has been developed to minimize the shock due to
the collision of a vehicle with a walker by deforming the vehicle
body such as a bonnet in accordance with the pedestrian safety
regulations which are expected to be regulated in this country and
other countries to export our vehicles.
[0005] The pedestrian safety regulations are based on impact values
sensed by firing a head form simulating a head part of a walker by
a speed of 40 kph as the reference of judgment, wherein it is
assumed that a walker collides with an end part of a glass at a
rear part of a bonnet, that is, a head of the walker collides with
the vehicle in the vicinity of a hinge part.
[0006] In general, a front part of a vehicle is formed with an
engine room 2 for receiving an engine and other various parts, and
a bonnet 1 is mounted to an upper end part of the engine room
rotatably with respect to a hinge 100 for protecting the engine
room, as shown in FIG. 1.
[0007] The prior art hinge for a bonnet of a vehicle, as shown in
FIG. 2, includes a hinge support 20 having a rear part formed with
a link piece integrally and upwardly extended at the rear part and
formed with a hinge hole 23, and a front part penetrated with
coupling holes 21, a hinge arm 10 having an insertion hole 12
formed at a rear part with an inner diameter equal to the hinge
hole of the hinge support 20 and coupling holes 11 penetrated in a
front part, and a hinge pin 30 for penetrating both of the
insertion hole 12 of the hinge arm and the hinge hole 23 of the
hinge support 20.
[0008] In the above prior art vehicle bonnet hinge, the insertion
hole 12 of the hinge arm 10 is accorded with the hinge hole 23 of
the link piece of the hinge support 20 to insert the hinge pin 30
into the insertion hole and the hinge hole, and the hinge support
20 and the hinge arm 10 coupled by the hinge pin 30 are coupled
with a vehicle body by bolts 27 via the coupling holes 21 of the
hinge support and the coupling holes 11 of the hinge arm, in such a
manner that a top surface of the vehicle body is coupled with a
bottom surface of a bonnet 1 and a bottom surface of the hinge
support 20 is coupled with a top surface of the hinge arm 10, so
that the bonnet 1 is opened or closed by rotation with respect to
the hinge pin 30.
[0009] In the prior art vehicle bonnet hinge as above, the hinge
arm 10, which contacts the bottom surface of the bonnet I at the
top surface and is coupled by the bolt 27, is fixed and coupled
with the hinge support 20, which contacts the top surface of the
vehicle body and is coupled by the bolt 27, by the hinge pin
30.
[0010] Therefore, if the walker collides head-on with the vehicle
while the vehicle is running and the body of the walker contacts
the bonnet 1, the walker becomes injured seriously by the impact
energy generated by the collision with the vehicle.
[0011] In the meantime, in order to resolve the above problems of
the prior art, as shown in FIG. 3, it has been suggested to form a
bead part 22a' in the link piece of the hinge support 20, which is
formed with the hinge hole 30 with the same inner diameter with the
insertion hole 12 of the hinge arm 10 to be coupled by the hinge
pin 30.
[0012] According to the bead structure, when the walker collides
head-on with the driving vehicle, the bead part 22a' formed in the
link piece of the hinge support 20 becomes deformed, absorbing the
impact energy, thereby reducing the injury of the walker.
[0013] The prior art bonnet hinge has, however, a problem that it
is impossible to control a breakage load by the only bead part
22a', which is formed in the link piece of the hinge support 20 to
be deformed for absorbing the impact energy, so that the injury of
the walker may not be reduced effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vehicle
bonnet hinge that substantially obviates one or more of the
problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.
[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved
vehicle bonnet hinge, which may absorb the impact energy by moving
a lower end part of a first link along a slot to move a bonnet
downwardly, so that a walker may be prevented from being injured
seriously by the bonnet, when the walker collides head-on with a
running vehicle.
[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
vehicle bonnet hinge that may minimize an impact value applied to a
head part of a walker for safely protecting the walker in case of
the head-on collision of the walker with a driving vehicle.
[0017] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
vehicle bonnet hinge that may meet the pedestrian safety
regulations, which are expected to be enforced in the inside and
outside of the country.
[0018] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with
the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described, a vehicle bonnet hinge includes a hinge arm having a
surface contacting a bottom surface of a bonnet 1 at a top surface
and penetratingly formed with coupling holes to be coupled with the
bonnet and a side surface penetrating formed with a first hinge
hole and a second hinge hole respectively at a front part and a
rear part, a first link and a second link, of which upper end parts
are respectively coupled with the first hinge hole and the second
hinge hole of the hinge arm by axial pins, a hinge support formed
with a hinge hole at a side to be rotatably coupled with a lower
end part of the second link by the axial pin and coupling holes at
both sides of a lower end part to be coupled with a vehicle body by
bolts in contact with a top surface of the vehicle body at a bottom
surface, a slot formed longitudinally in the hinge support for
preventing a hinge pin coupled with the lower part of the first
link from deviating from a hinge center shaft position when an
external impact is applied, and a plate spring fixedly mounted at a
side of the slot and formed with a holding shoulder for preventing
the hinge pin from deviating from a normal hinge operation
position.
[0019] Therefore, the hinge pin forms a hinge shaft at a normal
position by the plate spring when the bonnet is normally opened or
closed, while the hinge pin is deviated from the plate spring
mounted in the slot for reducing impact force when a head part of a
walker collides with a top surface of the bonnet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principles of the invention.
[0021] In the drawings:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a prior art bonnet
mounted to a vehicle;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a disassembled state of
the prior art hinge for the vehicle bonnet;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the prior
art hinge for a vehicle bonnet;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a hinge for a vehicle
bonnet according to the present invention, which is
disassembled;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a hinge for a vehicle
bonnet according to the present invention, which is assembled;
[0027] FIG. 6 is an expanded view showing principal parts of the
present invention;
[0028] FIG. 7 is an expanded view showing a state that a plate
spring mounted in a slot is deviated from a pin in the hinge of the
vehicle bonnet according to the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 8 is an expanded view showing principal parts of the
vehicle bonnet hinge according to the present invention; and
[0030] FIG. 9 is an expanded view showing an operation state of the
vehicle bonnet hinge according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in FIG. 4 to FIG. 9.
[0032] FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 respectively show a structure of a vehicle
bonnet hinge according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, wherein FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle
bonnet hinge that is disassembled, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of
the vehicle bonnet hinge that is mounted to a vehicle bonnet, and
the FIG. 6 is a front view showing the vehicle bonnet hinge that a
hinge support is coupled with a hinge pin and a plate spring in a
slot.
[0033] FIG. 6 shows a partially expanded view of a hinge pin 30
that is prevented from deviating from a hinge center by a plate
spring 70 in case of a normal operation, and FIG. 7 is an expanded
view of the hinge pin 30 that deviates from the plate spring 70 by
moving along a slot 60, which is longitudinally formed in the
horizontal direction, for absorbing impact, when a walker collides
head-on with a top part of a bonnet 1 and collision impact is
applied to the top part of the bonnet.
[0034] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present
invention, wherein FIG. 8 is a partially taken expanded view of the
hinge pin that is prevented from deviating from the hinge center by
the plate spring 70 in case of the normal operation, and FIG. 9 is
an expanded view of the hinge pin 30 that deviates from the plate
spring to move along a slot 60 that is formed longitudinally in the
vertical direction, when impact is applied to the top part of the
bonnet 1 due to the collision with a walker.
[0035] A hinge arm 10 contacts a bottom surface of the bonnet at a
top surface to be coupled and fixed by bolts 27 via coupling holes
11, and serves as a variable bracket.
[0036] A hinge support 20 is fixed to a vehicle body by bolts 27,
and the hinge arm 10 and the hinge support 20 are hinge-coupled by
a first link 40 and a second link 50 apart from each other with a
predetermined distance.
[0037] The hinge arm 10, which is connected with upper end parts of
the first link 40 and the second link 50, are formed with a first
hinge hole 12 and a second hinge hole 13 to be hinge-coupled with
the hinge support 20 by axial pins 31.
[0038] The second link 50 is coupled with the axial pin 31 at a
lower end part via a hinge hole 22, which is formed at a side of
the hinge support 20, and the first link 40 is coupled with the
hinge pin 30 via the slot 60 formed in the hinge support 20.
[0039] The hinge support 20 is formed with coupling holes 21 at
both front and rear end parts to be coupled with a top surface of
the vehicle body by the bolts 27.
[0040] The slot 60 is formed in the hinge support 20
longitudinally, so that the hinge pin 30 coupled with the lower end
part of the first link 40 may be prevented from deviating from a
hinge center shaft when external impact is applied.
[0041] The slot 60 is mounted with the plate spring 70 for
preventing the deviation of the hinge pin 30 from a normal
operation position.
[0042] FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, in which the slot 60 is formed horizontally and the
hinge pin 30 deviates horizontally from the normal operation
position when the bonnet is applied with collision impact from a
walker, and FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a hinge pin according to another
preferred embodiment of the present invention, which serves as a
normal hinge.
[0043] That is, the hinge pin 30 is formed with a key 33 which is
machined to be integrally attached to a cylindrical column part,
the plate spring 70 mounted in the slot 60 is formed with a
contacting surface 72 to hold the key 33 and a holding shoulder 71
protruded at a lower part by a slight height for supporting the
rotation of the cylindrical column part.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows a normal operation state of the hinge pin 30
that opens the bonnet 1, wherein the bonnet 1 is normally opened or
closed if the key 33 rotates between the holding shoulder 71 and
the contacting surface 72.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a state that the bonnet 1 collides with a head
part of a walker and the external force is applied to the bonnet 1
by the collision, wherein the hinge pin 31 deviates from the
slightly protruded holding shoulder 71 for supporting the
cylindrical column part when the impact force is transmitted to the
first link 40.
[0046] Therefore, the first link 40 deforms to be withdrawn
backwardly while maintaining the connection with the bonnet 1, so
that the impact force of the walker is prevented from being
transmitted to the top part of the bonnet 1.
[0047] According to the present invention as above, the bonnet is
deformed, absorbing the impact energy by the withdrawing of the
lower end part of the first link along the slot together with the
hinge pin even though the body of the walker contacts the bonnet
due to the head-on collision of the walker with a running
vehicle.
[0048] Therefore, the walker is prevented from being injured
seriously by the collision with the bonnet even though the body of
the walker contacts the bonnet of the running vehicle.
[0049] Further, the impact force applied to the head of the walker
is minimized for protecting the walker more safely, so that the
reliability and the safety of the vehicle may be improved, meeting
the pedestrian safety regulations which are expected to be enforced
in the inside and outside of the country.
[0050] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the device of the
present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention. The present invention covers the modifications and
variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of
the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *